FERRUM, Va. - Host Ferrum College used a strong run late in the first half to send Shenandoah University down to a 68-61 USA South Conference women's basketball defeat Saturday afternoon at Swartz Gymnasium.

The Panthers (10-3, 6-2) broke open a close game with a 29-5 run from the 12:34 to 2:05 marks of the first half to help dispatch the Hornets (7-6, 3-4).

With Shenandoah holding a 15-13 lead following a Katherine Flint jumper at the 12:34 mark, FC got hot from the outside.

The Panthers, who hit seven 3-pointers on the day, received four '3's from Ashley Norton and another from Tiesha Terry during a run that turned a two-point deficit into a 19-point lead with 2:05 to play in the first.

Norton was 4 of 9 from the field in the first 20 minutes and hit all four of her shots from behind the arc consecutively.

The Hornets did not fold however, scoring 19 of the first 27 points of the second half to cut the deficit to just one point, 47-46, by the 11:11 mark.

SU had two possessions in which it could have taken the lead, but missed one shot and turned it over on the second one to miss its best opportunity for advantage.

Ferrum then effectively clinched the game with a 9-2 run in a span of 1:40 - Shenandoah would get no closer than three points the rest of the way.

That three-point deficit occurred in the final minute, as Flint finished off an 8-0 run with a pair of free throws, but the Panthers clinched by canning their last four shots from the charity stripe.

Flint led SU with 19 points, including 14 in the second half, while Alexis Hargbol had 18 with nine rebounds. Mandy Johnston rounded out the team's top performers with nine points and six assists.

Norton and Kristen Keith both had 18 points for the hosts.

Shenandoah completes this weekend trip Sunday afternoon with a 2:00 USA South Conference contest at Averett.

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